Plow for leveling ballast of railway tracks



Feb. 5, 1952 G. w. DANGERFIELD PLOW FOR LEVELING BALLAST OF RAILWAY TRACKS Filed July 22, 1949 2 SHEETSSHEET l INVENTOR ATTORNEYS.

Feb. 5, 1952 G. w. DANGERFIELD PLOW FOR usvmmc BALLAST OF RAILWAY TRACKS Filed Jul 22, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS 0 Patented Feb. 5, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PLOW FOR LEVELING BALLAST OF RAILWAY TRACKS 1 Claim. 1

' This invention relates to a ballast. plow for use in spreading and leveling ballast in the construction and repair of railway tracks, the primary ob- :ject of the invention being to provide a device :of

this character which will be light in weight to permit handling with facility, the construction of the plow being such as to permit of its attachment to a railway car in such a way that the plow will be held to its work by the weight of the car, to which the plow is attached, thereby eliminating the necessity of using securing brackets, bolts or the like, common in ballast plow construction.

Another object of the invention is to provide a vertically adjustable blade whereby the spread: ing of the ballast to the desired depth, may be accomplished. I

Still another object of the invention is to provide shoes mounted on the plow, against which the wheels of the car with which the plow is used, engage in forcing the plow over the ballast being distributed.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a ballast plow including a rectangular frame with shoes secured along the lower edges thereof, the shoes resting on the rails of the railway track in such a way as to prevent lateral movement of theplow with respect to the track, during its operation. a I

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the

invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claim, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

Referring to the drawing Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a ballast plow, constructed in accordance with the invention, portions of the blade supporting member being broken away illustrating the supporting frame of the plow.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the plow.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmental perspective view illustrating one end of the plow blade.

Fig. 4 is an end elevational view of the plow.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a portion of the plow blade and frame, at one end of the plow.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view illustrating the connection between the vertically adjustable truck engaging bar of the frame of the device with the frame.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the plow embodies a rectangular frame including the upper angle bar 5 and lower angle bar 6 which are held in vertical spaced relation with respect to each other by means of the vertical end bars I which have portions of one of the sides thereof cut away adjacent to the ends, so that they fit against the edges of the bars 5 and 8, where they are welded, securing the bars together.

Welded to the bars 5 and E, and extending rear.- wardly therefrom in vertical spaced relation with respect to each other, are the side bars 8 and 9 respectively which bars 8 and 9 are connected at their rear ends by means of the curved shoes I!) in which the treads of the car wheels move, the car wheels being indicated by the reference character A, in Fig. 4 of the drawings.

These curved shoes II] have portions thereof extended forwardly as at H, where they connect with the side bars 8 and 9 securely bracing the shoes. Further angular braces l2 connect with the bars 9 and forward edges of the curved shoes l0, providing a still further brace for the curved shoes.

Disposed intermediately of the frame, are vertical brace bars l3.

Arranged intermediate the ends of the bars 5 and 6, is a vertical brace bar I4 that is welded thereto, bracing the central forward portion of the frame.

Adjustably mounted for vertical movement on the bars 8, are the short bars I5, which are formed with elongated openings IS in which the boltsl'! operate, which bolts provide for vertical adjustment of the short bars l5. One flange of each short bar is formed with an elongated opening l8 in which bolts l9 are disposed, the bolts I9 passing through openings in the vertically adjustable clampin bar 20, and are secured to the short bars l5, by means of the nuts 20'.

The frame is also braced by means of the brace bars 2| which have their ends connected with the side bars 8, the brace bars being disposed at oblique angles with respect to the side edges of the bars 8, crossing. each other at points intermediate their ends, the ends of the brace bars 2| being welded to the bars 8.

The plow blade is indicated by the reference character 22 and is substantially wide, so that the upper edge thereof extends above the top of the supportin frame. The upper edge of the plow blade 22 is provided with a cut out portion 23 of a width to accommodate the usual coupling bar of a car coupler. Thus when the device is positioned under a car, the coupler bar of the car not shown, will fit therein, holding the device in position.

As clearly shown by Fig. 1 of the drawings, the plow blade 22 is formed with rail notches 23' that are so arranged that they fit over the rails of the track over which the device is moved.

Mounted on the plow blade 22, is an adjustable blade section 24 which is formed with a plurality of elongated openings 25 arranged in transverse spaced relation with respect to each other, the openings aligning with openings in the blade proper 22, for the reception of the securing bolts 26 that secure the blade section 24 to the blade proper 22. Thus it will be seen that due to this construction, the blade section 24 may be adjusted vertically for regulatin the depth of operation of the blade 24.

This blade section 24 is also formed with rail notches 21, which notches areconsiderably larger than the notches 23 formed in the blade proper 22, so that the adjustable blade section 24 may be moved vertically with its lower ballast engaglng edge operating at a point an appreciable distance below the tread of the rail.

Secured along the lower front edge of the ad,- justable blade section 24, is the wear bar 28, the lower front edge of the adjustable blade section 24 being extended outwardly as at 29 to the end that the wear bar 28 will be disposed an appreciable distance in advance of the main portion of the adjustable blade section.

Secured along the lower surfaces of the side bars 9,. by means of the bolts 30, are shoes 31, which shoes are formed with flanges 32 that fit over the edges of the rails of .a track, holding the frame in true running position over the rails. Since these shoes 3| are of lengths equal to the lengths of the side bars 9, it will be seen that the, frame of the plow is supported against twisting under severe strains directed thereto, during the operation of the plow.

In the use of the device, the plow is lifted onto the rails of a railway track. in front of the front wheels of a car, the front wheels of the car moving into position on the curved shoes I 0. With the plow in this position, the bar 20 is adjusted to engage the under frame work of the carv to secure the plow against vertical movement when in use. When the plow has been properly positioned, the usual coupling bar of the car, not shown, will rest in the cut out portion 23 main plow blade extending transversely of the front of the frame, upper and lower side members forming a part of the frame, elongated curved shoes secured to the rear ends of the side members and against which wheels of a railway car engage in moving the frame over a railway track, said plow blade having railway rail notches formed in the lower'edge thereof'fitted over the rails of a railway track on which the plow is positioned, elongated supporting shoes secured to the bottoms of the lower side members of the frame and extending throughout the length of the frame, with the front ends of said elongated supporting shoes aligning with the said notches, said supporting shoes having rail engaging flanges formed along the inner longitudinal edges thereof, said flanges resting against the inner edges of rails, holding the frame against twisting, and a vertically adjustable plow blade secured to the main plow blade, said adjustable plow blade also having notches registerin with the notches of the main plow blade.

GEORGE W. DANGERFIELD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 907,701 Parsons Dec. 22, 1908 1,321,771 Rahmer Nov. 11, 1919 1,517,409 Dearry Dec. 2, 1924 1,865,807 Ward July 5, 1932 2,214,207

Shipley Sept. 10, 1940 

